Road trip through Namibia

by Kraig Becker on

The travel section of the Times Online has a great article today about a 3000-mile road trip across Namibia, the south African country that falls along that continents Atlantic coast. The 15-day journey sent author Holden Frith across stark, yet strikingly beautiful, landscapes in a country that has wide open spaces and remote regions that few visit.

The article offers a long, and very detailed look, at Firth’s journey. He breaks down his travels on a day-to-day basis, and gives an excellent description of not only where he’s been, but the people he encountered and the amazing things that he, and his traveling companion, saw along the way. For instance, in the first few days in the country, they visited a region known as the Giant’s Playground, where strange rock formations stretch for miles, and appear to have been stacked up by some unknown force. From there, the journey continues through such places as Fish River Canyon, one of the wildest and deepest gorges in the world, and past the Sperrgebiet, or Forbidden Zone, which is off limits to tourists because of the number of diamonds that can still be found there.

Each passing day of the road trip seems to reveal some new, and intriguing, location that gives us a glimpse of Namibia’s appeal to adventure travelers. Whether it’s exploring the remote and arid Namib Desert or driving the Skeleton Coast, so named for the ancient shipwrecks that litter its beaches, the country offers hidden wonders at every turn. And while the majority of travelers to Africa head to Kenya or South Africa to go on a classic safari adventure, Namibia has plenty of unique experiences of its own, and since it remains squarely off the radar for most travelers, there aren’t the crowds that are common elsewhere.

Michigan travel: Great destinations for a good cause

by Jamie Rhein on

With Michigan’s economic news sounding about as grim as economic news can sound, Sarah Aldrich has written an ode to seven of Michigan’s small towns. Her recent post at Intelligent Travel captures the essence of each of the towns she adores. Reading Adrich’s missive reminded me of various friends of mine who have vacationed on Michigan’s shores. Everyone of them came back with stories about a wonderful time.

Although Aldrich was “reluctant to share” details about each of the towns she loves for fear that they might become overrun if they became too popular, she decided that Michigan might need a morale boost more than her need to keep these destinations just as they are. Tourist dollars talk. In a way, going to Michigan is do good travel. Your presence at an attraction, an eatery or a hotel puts dollars where they’re needed.

I’ve spent a few tourist dollars in Michigan myself. I’d recommend Greenfield Village and the adjacent Henry Ford Museum to anyone. Both are top notch attractions and well worth whatever money you have to spend. Staying in a hotel in Dearfield easily fits into a budget vacation.

If small towns aren’t appealing, another friend of mine just returned from Detroit and was pleasantly surprised by his experience and what the city had to offer. Even if you are only in Detroit for a few hours on a layover, consider taking a foray outside the airport to take in a smidgen of Michigan’s offerings. Grant has suggestions for what you might do and how to do it..

The message is: “Go to Michigan. The state needs you.” Aldrich would be ever so pleased if you did.

[The photo by daBinsi is of the Point Bessie Lighthouse in Frankfort, Michigan.]

Welsh lighthouse plans statue for local ghost

by Sean McLachlan on

Caretakers of an historic 17th century lighthouse in northern Wales are planning to erect a statue to a famous resident–the ghost of a former lighthouse keeper.

Locals and holidaymakers have had numerous sightings of the man standing atop the old lighthouse, pictured here. He is described as wearing old-fashioned clothing and is sometimes seen quite clearly during broad daylight. The building has been locked and unused for a century.

Now Talacre Beach Leisure Group who own the building and the beachfront property around it, want to erect a stainless steel statue to the ghostly figure. Because the lighthouse is a listed historic building, they have to make an application to the local county council, who appear to be enthusiastic about the idea.

Hey, in these hard economic times, anything that helps bring in tourists can’t be all bad.

Sign the petition to open travel to Cuba

by Brenda Yun on


Americans today have the right to travel to any country in the world except Cuba. Recently, the OpenCuba.org campaign, which gives people a way to petition U.S. leaders to end the 50-year Cuba travel ban and give all Americans the freedom to travel to Cuba, has been creating some buzz on the web because of the positive developments happening on Capitol Hill regarding lifting travel restrictions to Cuba.

159 Congressmen and 29 Senators recently sponsored the bipartisan Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which seeks to open up travel to Cuba for all U.S. citizens. The opportunity to end the 50-year ban hangs in the balance. Each of us can take part in the movement to give Americans the right to travel wherever they choose by signing the petition.
The momentum behind this issue is growing. A recent poll shows that 67% of Americans favor allowing all Americans to travel to Cuba. Cuban American groups such as the Cuban American Alliance and the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights have also endorsed the initiatives sparked by OpenCuba.org. Over 50,000 people have already visited OpenCuba.org to make their opinion heard.

To seize the moment and join the growing number of OpenCuba.org supporters in urging U.S. leaders to give all Americans the freedom to travel to Cuba, visit http://www.OpenCuba.org, and encourage others to do so as well.

Americans have long had the freedom to travel almost anywhere in the world, and should continue to exercise this freedom wherever possible. This ability to travel and the resulting exchange of ideas between people from different countries can be a powerful force for positive change.

For information on my own travels to Cuba earlier this year, check out my Cuba Libre series HERE.

Roadside attractions along the Pacific Coast Highway

by Brenda Yun on


I just completed a whirlwind tour of the Pacific coastline this past week and within a few days I got a taste of some pretty eye-popping roadside attractions along Route 101. While most of the sights I discovered were pretty kitschy, there were other natural wonders that inspired at least one or two ooo’s and ahh’s. While I’d like to say I drove the whole thing, I have to admit that I was only able to run the stretch between San Francisco, CA through Aberdeen, WA. Here’s a little taste of the roadside wonders waiting for you along the Pacific coastline:

Northern California

  • Golden Gate Bridge: A trip to NorCal wouldn’t be complete without seeing San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge. While the building of the bridge itself is enough to place it firmly in national lore, many are sadly inspired to jump from the bridge to their death into the frigid bay waters below.
  • Redwood National Park: The towering redwood trees in Humboldt county along California’s “Lost Coast” are truly a sight to behold. At one point, the cars along 101 weave amid the trees.
  • Bigfoot country: While my friend may claim Bigfoot lives in her small town of Ada, Oklahoma, northern California also claims Bigfoot lives here, and the locals immortalize him by making lots of wooden statues of him.
  • Trees of Mystery: If you’re into tall tales like stories about Paul Bunyan (that giant lumberjack of a man), the audio tour along the “Tall Tales Trail” in the Trees of Mystery park should inform you of all you need to know about big country legends. Enjoy a ride on the Sky Trail gondola if you want to travel amid the big trees in the park.



Oregon

  • Oregon Dunes: The sci-fi saga, Dune, was inspired by these sandy dunes in southern Oregon. The beach along this stretch of coast seems to go on forever. Sandy tumbling down a rolling dune is a must.
  • Prehistoric Gardens: A popular tourist trap right off the 101 is the dinosaur-filled park better known as the Prehistoric Gardens. Apparently, someone thought it was a great idea to create life-sized dinosaurs and place them throughout a forested park for tourists to stumble upon as they strolled amid the trees. A little scary, if you ask me, but the Gardens draw quite the crowd.
  • Tillamook Cheese Factory: The famous cheddar cheese company has a large amusement park-like factory complete with an ice cream shop that features over 30 original flavors. This place tops even Ben and Jerry’s as a must-see.

Southern Washington

  • The world’s largest frying pan: Once you cross the state border into Washington, the roadside pickings get a bit slim. Take a slight detour along the Long Beach Peninsula and you will find the world’s largest frying pan, which is a 10-foot tall specimen of shiny iron.
  • Oysters: The Willapa Bay just north of the peninsula is home to lots of oysters. As you drive into South Bend, you’ll see a sign declaring it’s the “Oyster Capital of the World.”